Saturday, May 23, 2009

A Quarter Century of Krueger: The Kills

As fans of slasher flicks, let's admit it: A big part of the appeal is watching people get killed. We can deny it/rationalize it all we want, but we all know slasher fans get a kick out of seeing what kinds of ways hapless teens are going to get bumped off by whatever maniac happens to be doing the bumping. And though the Nightmare on Elm Street movies are quite unique in the annals of the slasher subgenre (some would argue transcending it entirely), we're still fascinated with the kills. Especially since given Freddy's supernatural abilities, they're bound to be more interesting than in most other slasher films.

So let's break down Mr. Krueger's cinematic rapsheet once and for all, shall we? And do take note of the how the kills get more and more outlandish/ridiculous as the series itself takes a similar turn...

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)Body count: 4

Tina Gray - Dragged up the wall and ceiling of her bedroom while being sliced open

Rod Lane - Strangled in his prison cell by his own bedsheets

Glen Lantz - Swallowed up and regurgitated by his bed

Marge Thompson - Burned alive by Freddy's flaming body

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)Body count: 5

Coach - Tied up and clawed in the gym shower

Grady - Impaled on the bedroom door by Freddy's glove

Random partygoers #1, 2 and 3: Skewered by Freddy at Lisa's pool party. These three are confirmed on screen, but there are possibly more...

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)Body count: 6

Philip - Strung up by his tendons, and dropped from the top of the psychiatric hospital

Jennifer - Television sprouts Freddy head and arms... Freddy smashes her head into the screen ("Welcome to prime time, bitch!")

You forgot Julie the babysitter in New Nightmare. Freddy killed her in the hospital like Tina in part 1. Plus, would you count the 2 FX guys who were killed by the mechanical glove in the dream (their bodies were later discovered offscreen)?

Which horror film *should* be remade?

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I've been fascinated with horror ever since my parents let me watch The Exorcist at 8 years old (what were they thinking??) and I ran up to my bed screaming when Linda Blair's eyes rolled into the back of her head.Although it often gets a bad rap from "mainstream" critics and audiences alike, horror has often been the most creative and vibrant movie genre of all, from Nosferatu to Saw. Some of the finest motion pictures ever made are part of the horror genre, including Frankenstein, Psycho, The Shining and my personal all-time favorite, George Romero's Dawn of the Dead.This blog is the culmination of my 25-year love affair with all things blood and guts--so check back here often for news and opinion on the world of horror. And remember...